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It’s not surprising to see our guests come back after their first hunting trip to Argentina, we love to see them again. But when we have guests coming back year after year we know that we have made good friends. Rell, Mark, Brad, Tim and David have been coming to hunt with us for more than three years.

These guys have been friends for more than ten years, they have been friends since high school in fact and some are workmates too.

We are pleased to know they have chosen Pointer again and we’re excited to welcome them in this first week of February. Our staff and La Loma Lodge are going to witness a great friends’ reunion. This lodge is a beautiful traditional estancia built in 1908. It’s just a 60 minute drive from Cordoba airport, in the town of Totoral and it’s a great option for groups of friends.

Our dear friend Rell Tipton is the father of Parker. I hold him dear because I was his first field assistant in his first trip to Argentina.

Talking about guns, it’s Rell’s habit to bring his own guns cal 28, his favorite. The rest of the group prefer a bigger caliber, and they choose our Benelli Montefeltroguns. We have a wide variety of shotguns to choose from, such as Benelli and Beretta 391 and 400, over and under shotguns, and our brand new 410.

Our field manager lets us know that there is a great volume of birds in one of our fields, 50 min away from the lodge in an area called El Bajo. We know that spot will be awesome to challenge our hunters and see who makes it to the 1000 dove club(and more!) We get to this field at 8.30 am and we know why this field was chosen, we see millions of doves flying over a water stream. We know we have a great day ahead.

When everything is set we drop each hunter off in their spot. Gaby, our cook, has the fire ready in case someone feels like a cup of tea or coffee. The coolers are ready as well, filled with ice and drinks to enjoy together with the hunt. By 11 am we check our hunters at their spots. Mark has already shot 500 doves in two hours, well done my friend! The doves never stopped flying. We know it wont be hard for Mark to enter the 1000 club. Rell has also shot down a great number, he prefers a high-angle, long shot. David, Tim and Brad are amazed by the volume of birds flying over their heads.

At 12.50 we get the call: lunch is ready! This group already knows that the hunting experience in Argentina also includes delicious food, specially meat. They have specifically asked to have morcilla in every meal. Morcilla is a kind sausage made out of pork meat and blood. It can’t be missing in a good asado. We love it when our guests enjoy the Argentinian food. They drink Malbec Wine and Quilmes beer, our national beer.

Our field assistants take good care of our guns, cleaning them for the afternoon hunting session. By the time we finish lunch and siesta everything is set for a hunting that I predict will be even better than the one they’ve just had. Mark is the first one to make it to the 1000 dove club! He has secured his Pointer T-shirt we give as a gift when a guest shots down 1000 doves.

The afternoon does not disappoint. The field where we are hunting today has areas of water and a roost, so the doves never stop moving. They go back and forth to one pace to the other the entire day, until the sun goes down. At 17.30 we realize there was not even a moment when birds were not flying above us.

Even Rell and Mark, who have been to Argentina in hunting trips many times, are amazed by the amount of birds flying in this field. David makes it to the 1000 doves club, too. We’re all thrilled.

After a long day of hunting and so, so many birds shot down we’re ready to start our way back to the lodge. The staff at La Loma Lodge are waiting for our guests with drinks and snacks, massages if they need one, and whiskey. What a way to finish the day!

We love it when our guests are still amazed and delighted by the experience, even after coming for many times.

You should be the next one!

Please, read the testimonials below and enjoy the experience in our guests own words.

Martin Andrada

Head Guide

Pointer Outfitters

Testimonials

Pablo –

Thank you and all of your team at Pointer Outfitters for another great trip to Argentina.

Martin did a great job making sure we were in places with lots of birds to shoot and leading his team out in the field. Gabby and the fellows served up terrific lunches. Emanuel, my field assistant, and all of the others took very good care of us and made sure we were having fun.

The ladies at La Loma Lodge were also great. They took very good care of us and made sure we always had what we needed. The food was very good and the lodge was very comfortable. Also thanks for getting us all set up in separate rooms. I’m sure none of the other guys would have wanted to listen to me snoring all night.

It was also nice to have a chance to meet Vicky and Cici. They are very nice and even put up with Rell’s unusual dinner conversation. Vicky, Cici, Florencia and all the people in the office were very helpful and made sure our trip went smoothly.

And it was fun to have Juan around for a couple of days. He makes sure we’re having fun and have lots of laughs when he’s around.

We know that you and your teams worked very hard to make sure we had a great experience on our trip and we appreciate all those efforts. Thanks to everyone and we’re looking forward to our next trip.

Mark (El Chapo) Bielstein

Pablo- I agree 100% with Mark’s note. It was a trip of a lifetime for me because of the kindness and care of you entire team. You have a great group of people working for you. The experience was awesome. Thank you so much. I will definitely be coming back regularly !

The only thing I would add to Mark’s note was that we enjoyed meeting Silvia on Monday. Thanks again for a great time!

We have reached the last month of the year but our season is not over yet. I arrived at the airport around 1:10 pm on a sunny day with a temperature of 29 degrees, waiting for our friend Mark and his son John.

Once we were with our guests inside the van, we left the airport ready to undertake trip to the shooting zone that is towards the north of the province of Cordoba, well-known as the “tuna zone”, located an hour away from the airport, where the rest of Pointer’s team is waiting for us, ready to have an amazing hunting day.

As usual Gaby (number one) is waiting for us with a tasty Argentine lunch, well known as Asado, that includes tenderloin, matambre (a thin cut from Argentina and Uruguay) with lemon, boneless chicken and chimichurri!

After lunch, we like preparing the hammocks for our friend to relax and take a quick nap before the afternoon hunt.

We are ready to go to the shooting zone. It’s already 3:30 pm and we see a large volume of doves reaching the nesting area.

Our friend Mark visited us for the second time fortunately, and this year he wanted to pass along the experience of dove hunting in Cordoba to his son John.

We double checked that all the shotguns are in great conditions and, once everything was OK and our field assistants were located in the hunting spots, the day started.

In terms of shotguns, our customers were pleased to use our new Benelli Montefeltro 20 cal shotguns. They are our workhorses and the only weapons that carry on like no other the pressure of Cordoba’s high volume hunting. They were really surprised by its comfort when shooting over 2000 thousand rounds a day. They have been shooting 20 gauge ammunition 7, which is one of the best ammunition for the sport of shooting doves. We also use regular ammunition ½ or 7 and 8 and loads of gunpowder in our cartridges are of 25 grams.

Benelli’s Montefeltro shotgun features a slim, graceful forend, which, combined with an anodized, lightweight receiver, keeps the weight minimal and the swing quick.

It has an Inertia-Driven System, which means that the shotgun is clean, reliable, and adjustment-free.We have them available in 12- and 20-gauge, we do not have any with left hand configurations. We like a lot the low-profile rib.

At this time of the year, summer is starting in Argentina, so we have a temperature from 20 to 30 degrees celsius and of course, rainy days, so it is important to have very strategic fields for these months, but that never stops us from providing our clients of a good time!

Once I heard the first shots I decided to go to the sports and see how everything was going up there.

I arrived and I saw that everything was going great. Mark was asking the field assistants for some advice for him and his son, so I told him that it’s very important when you shoot to have a feet relaxed so you are able to move with total freedom to follow the doves, and it’s also very important to have your arms in the right position (lined up) because that will give you a great precision while firing the shotgun .

After three days of pure shots, the faces of Mark and John showed us nothing but satisfaction of being together in Cordoba.

Their numbers were unbelievable; both of them got really great rates, some days it was more than a 1000 doves ! So we congratulate them by making them part of the 1000 Doves Club!

So, great clients with a great crew, leads to a great trip. They were very pleased with our amazing lodge, La Loma, and with their host those days, Juan, who takes great care of every single client we have, making them feel as comfortable as possible.

Brent Beard’s group arrived in Cordoba on the first of september and they decided to stay that night at the Amerian Park Hotel in downtown Cordoba. The next day, we picked them up at the hotel at 8.30 am and went straight to the field in order to stay the hunting day.

We arrived at 10.45am and there, the field assistants and the guides were waiting for us with everything prepared to start the amazing day we had ahead.

This time, the place we have chosen to go hunting is in the northern part of the province, in a place called “ Los Pozos”.

That morning’s weather was a bit cold, something that was not helpful at all for the doves to fly as we are used to see them flying.

The hunt lasted 2 hours and, once we finished the morning hunt, we went to the camp, where our chef David was waiting for us with lunch ready.

For lunch we had traditional Argentinean barbeque known as “asado”. A light salad composed of avocado, onion, tomato, and lettuce was our first course. It was doused with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, giving it a sweet tang. Juicy sausage was served next. Then came the pork flank. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and lime juice; it was the perfect consistency of fat and muscle. It is akin to eating a large succulent piece of bacon. The main entrée was tenderloin. Slow cooked to perfection with a moist pink center and a charred exterior. The two textures playing off each other exceptionally. Lastly, chicken thigh and breast seasoned with lime juice, salt, and pepper. For dessert we had peach flan. It was light and airy providing a sweet but not overly filling end to our meal. After lunch the gentlemen had coffee and chatted before they headed to their afternoon hunting locations.

At 2.30pm we were leaving to the hunting sports again. The weather? It played us a bad turn once again. There was this cold southerly wind that was not affecting the amount of doves flying, but the quality of the shot, since doves were flying higher and faster.

There was another group coming too, and, since the two groups got along very well, we decided to make one big group. This new group, Mike Amato’s group, arrived at 3pm, ate a quick lunch and then went to their hunting spots to take advantage of the day they had ahead.

The next day, everyone at Plaza Real Lodge started early in the morning. At 7.30 am the clients had a great breakfast. We had planned to leave at 8.30am and so we did.

The morning was cold with great results in terms of the hunting, but not as good as we are used to. Lunch time was earlier that day, because we noticed that doves were flying better around 2pm, so we did not want to be late or in a rush, and on that same day, the clients decided they wanted to keep hunting a bit more, so we finished the day at 6 pm. Luckily, the afternoons were mostly sunny, so our new friends could enjoy great days of hunting.

On the 4th of september, only Brent Beard’s group went hunting since Mike and his friends wanted to go for ahorseback riding experience.

Let me tell you a bit more about this amazing experience. On a day of horseback riding, we would leave the lodge about 8 -8.30 am. We then have a one hour drive on a very scenic road going up to the highlands of Cordoba where you will find beautiful areas for sightseeing and photography. Once we get to the riding lodge the manager and the horse riding guides will meet us. Then we will be introduced to the horses. Now we are ready to start the horse riding trip between hills, rocks, trees and pampas. After this trip we go back to the lodge for lunch time. We will enjoy some of the delicious dishes that our professional chef makes. Great food accompanied by exceptional red wine.

After lunch we take a break in this beautiful Estancia with an English style and get ready for another two hours of horse riding. At about 5.30 we go back to the Estancia where we prepared to return to the lodge. At the lodge the girls will be waiting for us with a couple of drinks and reception. No doubt, it is an incredible experience that you should really think about doing.

The hunting was, once again, in Los Pozos. The day was sunny with many doves around us in the morning, but, because of the fatigue the guys had after so many doves hunted, they wanted to stop at 11am.

We went to the camp and David was waiting for us there. He received the group with dove tacos, a great way to start lunchtime.

After Asado, wine, and a tasty dessert, the afternoon hunt began. At 2.15 they were all ready in their hunting spots. It was very windy, but it did not bother them at all.

The next day, the two groups were together again. The morning hunt was unusual because doves were not helping at all, but the afternoon was great though.

Brent and his friends were amazed for sure; they could not believe the number of doves they saw those days here hunting with Pointer Outfitters.

It was their last day, and I am sure that they left with hard desires of coming back down here some day.

The last day Brent and his friends decided to stay at the lodge to prepare everything for their departure. On the other hand, Mike’s group left earlier than the other days in order to take advantage of the day and be able to hunt for many hours. One of the members of Mike Amato’s group, Mike Rinaldi, decided to stay at the lodge too, since his flight was departing before his group’s.

Incredible guys that I’m happy I got to meet and share this great experience with.

We went to Cordoba’s airport to pick Lloyd Voigt and his friends up. They arrived at 1 pm and, once we got their luggage inside the van, we left the airport to go straight to Jesus maria in order to have lunch and then take them to the field to start the afternoon hunt.

That day, we finished the hunting at 6.30 pm and went to the lodge they had chosen; Plaza Real Lodge.

Let me tell you something. Plaza Real is one of the best options for dove hunting in Argentina. It is located in the province of Cordoba, in the center of Argentina, 50 miles (100 km) north of Cordoba’s International Airport. The driving time from the airport to the lodge is one hour. Smack dab in the middle of the main capital of dove hunting in South America. It is close to Totoral City, and this totally renovated and stylish hotel surrounded by farmland, provides excellent and new accommodations to make your trip special. Argentina dove hunting reviews mention this unique place as a great option for wingshooters from all over the world. The rooms are big and comfortable, all with private bathroom, king and queen size beds, in single or double occupancy; and special suites.

The next day, they woke up at 7am and had an amazing breakfast at the lodge. Fruit salad, scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal, and, of course, a lot of coffee, daily basis for a hunter.

I went to the lodge, picked them up, and left with the group to La Para, which is a small town located 100km away from Villa del Totoral, where the lodge is.

If you ask me about the hunt, oh God! It was excellent. Doves were everywhere, it exceeded everyone’s expectations. They just could not believe their eyes!

Because of the great day they had, everyone was feeling a little bit tired so they decided they wanted to go back to the lodge, and so it was. At 4.30 pm, the hunting for this group was over. We arrived to the lodge at 6 pm, and the girls at the Plaza Real were waiting for the group with a glass of fresh orange juice.

After arriving to the lodge, they decided to take a shower and maybe have a massage session.

Dinner was ready at 8.30 pm and, after enjoying the fire pit, they went to bed to prepare themselves for another great day.

On the third day, we decided to change the hunting zone and went to the highlands of Cordoba.

The morning was a little slower than how we are used it to be, but it was because of the weather, that was windy and cloudy.

After an amazing lunch with doves in red wine and the incredible Asado Argentino as a main dish, we went back to the hunting spot and we knew it was going to be a great day.

The weather got better and our clients were really excited about this afternoon.

On their last day of hunting, we decided to take them to Jesus Maria, since that is one of the best zones to go hunting because of the quality of our fields there.

The day was sunny and so that made everything easier, helping our new friends to get to the 1000 doves Club !

very happy about this whole trip, they went to the city for their last day in Cordoba.

A brief city tour was done and, after lunch, they were taken to the airport for departure.

Doves everywhere, amazing meals, great people and a group of friends; that’s what made their trip so incredible.

Alex’s group arrived in Cordoba a day before coming to hunt with us because they wanted to stay one night at the Sheraton Hotel in Cordoba City and then, the next day at 8am, a truck from our company went to pick them up and take them directly to the field for the morning hunt.

They had time to hunt for around 2 hrs and a half before the Chef called us for lunch.

A few glasses of Argentinean wine, pork, sausages and lots of meat followed by an amazing tiramisu for dessert, separated the morning from the afternoon and after a little nap in the hammocks, Alex, Matt, Tim & Katie went to their respective positions that afternoon , which are never the same as in the morning.

That evening was incredible, according to Alex and Matt, something that had never seen in their lives and it is very difficult to explain; you have to see it to know what it is like.

Once we arrived to the lodge, Alex and Matt had a massage session, so an hour later, they joined us in the living room with Katie and Tim who were taking a few glasses of wine accompanied by delicious salami, cheese and chips.

Half an hour later, at 7.45pm, another truck from the company came to lodge with another excellent group which was supposed to go to the field right after arriving, but their flight was delayed 5 hours so they went directly to the lodge. Federico and I helped to put all their luggage down, show them their rooms and then, once they were feeling a bit more comfortable, at 8.30pm the nine of us got together to have an amazing dinner of pork, vegetables and ice cream as dessert.

The next day we went to hunt up in the hills, about 35 minutes away from the Plaza Real Lodge.That morning the dove flew a little higher that other days due to strong winds, in large quantities, but not close enough as they did on the afternoon. Jay killed more doves than the others that afternoon and, of course, he was the one that used more cartridges. Jay managed to pass the 1000 pigeons with a total of 611 in the morning and 534 afternoon. Les shot all the boxes that had planned for that afternoon in just 35-40 minutes. Alex shared the position with Katie, who was looking very concentrated sticking a lot of pigeons.

On the highest point of the hill, I met Matt and Gaby, his assistant. Since it was the highest point of the mountain, the view was just amazing. Going down the mountain, on the other side, I first found Jay and Ronnie and, about 200 yds diagonally, at the same height, was Corey and Fran. That afternoon began ahead of schedule and with no time to nap out because we had planned to hunt around 1.15pm, since a clear storm was coming to kick us out the field soon. And so it was. Luckily, all came to end when we were putting our things back inside the truck to return before the water began to stick on the glass and roof of the truck. It was time to leave. And once at the Plaza Real Lodge, we took a shower and again, accompanied by good music, had a few drinks with a funny talks until again, at 8.30pm, the girls at the lodge called us to the table, to enjoy dinner; ham and cheese crepes and chicken with baked potatoes as a main dish – which some ate a second plate- .

Once we finished eating, we went to the fire pit to take a last glass of wine accompanied by some cigars and background music.

The next day, the original plan was to go to hunt in the flatlands, but the rain of the previous evening precluded some roads so Federico wanted to go hunting in the mountains again, but, of course, to a different field; because the same field is never used two times in a row except we are talking about an emergency.

On the third day, there was not even one cloud in the sky, and doves, as we are used to, were flying amazingly, even though it was really windy. That afternoon, we were meeting a new group that had just arrived and who were staying in a Lodge that was close to ours (I join them in their third day, after saying goodbye to my new friends, half of them from Dallas and the rest from Mississippi).

So it was Thursday, the fourth day for the guys from Dallas, and the third for the guys from Mississippi. We left the lodge at 8:30 am towards Jesus Maria after a delicious breakfast: coffee, juice, eggs with bacon and some yoghurt. That day we were hunting in the flat lands, and most of the guys liked it a lot because it was more like to what they are used to; watching the dove flying from far away.

The day was amazing, no wind and a lot of sun with some clouds without getting hot. The morning was very good and for lunch and we were 14 people, since a group of 5, who was staying at La Loma Lodge, would be added.

After an incredible lunch and a few glasses of wine, we returned to the field to start hunting in the afternoon. Some were wagered well along the river while others would be on different sections in the middle, some reaching 2-3 meters high. They were finishing the hunt, until finally at 5pm, they all were back in the camp telling anecdotes and enjoying a last glass of wine before returning to the Lodge to get a refreshing shower.

That night, they took their last drinks and smoke their last cigarette around the fire pit, as the next day everything was already arranged to take a group in the morning to Cordoba, while the other was going to hunt one last morning and then return to Cordoba, with first stopping by the lodge to get their things, take a shower and get comfortable to leave.

Those were 5 amazing days, being once again the best part of this job; the friends that you make over time.

January is one of my favorite months for dove hunting. Birds fly in abundance in the area of the hills –the tuna roosts- due to a quite rainy summer. Luckily, the weather was awesome when our guests Gary, John, Dale and Carder came.

Our daily program is very organized: at 7:30 am every guests are woke up, breakfast is served at 8 and departure is at 8.30 am. We shoot until 12.30 when our star chef Federico awaits us with a tasty tacos of pigeons and, as always, the great Argentine barbecue. After lunch, we hang some hammocks for the nap and at 14:30 we are rested and ready to start shooting again.

Why there are so many birds?

Pigeons are monogamous, that is to say they have a stable partner. Once rigged, the female lays one or two eggs after 12 days. At 4-6 days, the young leave the nest. Pigeons reproduce based on the amount of food, the more food there is, the more number of hatches per year. In Cordoba we have between 3 and 5 reproductions every year. And only in North of Cordoba we can speak of 100,000 pigeons, declared by the authorities as plague.

In the spring and fall it is when they have more reproductive capacity. In the wild they can live about 15 years but in the cities they rarely live more than 5 years.

Pigeons build nests with any material from their own dung, twigs, clips, wires or even other skeletons of dead pigeons.

Which shotguns used our guests?

Our customers were pleased to use ours new Benelli shotguns montefeltro 20 cal. They are our workhorses and the only weapons that carry on like no other the pressure of Cordoba’s high volume hunting. Million of shells a year!!!

Our customers were surprised by its comfort when shooting over 2000 thousand rounds a day. They Have Been shooting 20 gauge ammunition 7, which is one of the best ammunition for the sport of shooting doves. We also use regular ammunition ½ or 7 and 8 and loads of gunpowder in our cartridges are of 25 grams.

We are known to satisfy the special requests of each hunter who chooses our company.

We have a wide variety of shotguns: Let us talk about the Benelli Montefeltro.

Benelli’s Montefeltro shotgun features a slim, graceful forend, which, combined with an anodized, lightweight receiver, keeps the weight minimal and the swing quick.

It has an Ultra-reliable Inertia Driven® system. An Inertia-Driven® System shotgun is clean, reliable, and adjustment-free.We have them avialable in 12- and 20-gauge, we do not have any with Left hand configurations. We like it a lot the Low-profile rib.

The bolt-lock lever performs 3 important functions: 1) It locks the bolt back on an empty chamber. 2) It releases a shell from the magazine. 3) It indicates a cocked hammer, making it obvious by both sight and feel. The bolt-lock lever is conveniently located on the front of the trigger guard.

Chamber pressure is contained by the massive, 2-lug rotary locking head, which locks into the steel barrel extension.

The trigger guard and safety are ergonomically designed, blending style and function.

Our Mercedes Benz vans help our customers to move to the shooting area with the best comfort and relaxation when starting the activity .

We also have great activities for non-shooters. For example, you can organize a day trip to Cordoba or a horse riding in the picturesque hills of Cordoba, or you can even take a shooting lesson.

Our customers decided to stay in our lodge Plaza Real Lodge and to enjoy the spacious private suite rooms, the fire pit and also the pool in these wonderful days of summer, where our manager Silvia and Juan were waiting for them with delicious welcome drinks and an outstanding dinner with the guests.

Thanks to all of you. We hope to see you soon!

Martin Andrada

Head Guide

Testimonials

Thank you and your team for an excellent time of fellowship and shooting. Special thanks to Sylvia and David for taking us shopping.

Can you send me information on the child sponsorship program I read about in your table book?

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